Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

The Sony Alpha A6000 and the Sony Alpha NEX-5R are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in February 2014 and August 2012. Both the A6000 and the NEX-5R are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. The A6000 has a resolution of 24 megapixels, whereas the NEX-5R provides 16 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Sony Alpha A6000 and the
Sony Alpha NEX-5R? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors,
their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Sony A6000 and the Sony NEX-5R. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A6000 can be obtained in three different colors (black, silver, white), while the NEX-5R is
available in two color-versions (black, silver).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Sony NEX-5R is notably smaller (19 percent) than the Sony A6000. Moreover, the NEX-5R is markedly lighter (20 percent) than the A6000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the A6000 nor the NEX-5R are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses.
You can compare the optics available in the Sony E-Mount Lens Catalog. Mirrorless cameras, such as the two under consideration, have the additional advantage of having a short flange to focal plane distance, which makes it possible to mount many lenses from other systems onto the camera via adapters.

The power pack in the A6000 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger
along when travelling.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left
comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The A6000 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 20 percent) than the NEX-5R, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors
differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the NEX-5R is 1 percent smaller. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.5. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 24MP, the A6000 offers a higher
resolution than the NEX-5R (16MP), but the A6000 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of
3.91μm versus 4.78μm for the NEX-5R). However, the A6000 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 5 months) than the NEX-5R, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels.

The A6000 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Sony Alpha A6000 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Alpha NEX-5R are ISO 100 to ISO 25600 (no boost).

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). Of the two cameras under review, the A6000 has a notably higher overall DXO score than the NEX-5R (overall score 4 points higher), which gives it an advantage in terms of imaging quality. This advantage is based on 0.4 bits higher color depth, and 0.6 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Sony A6000»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.1

13.1

1347

82

Sony A6000

Sony NEX-5R«

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

23.7

13.1

910

78

Sony NEX-5R

Canon M3«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/30p

22.8

11.8

1169

72

Canon M3

Canon G7 X«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

23.0

12.7

556

71

Canon G7 X

Sony A6300«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

24.4

13.7

1437

85

Sony A6300

Sony RX100 IV«»

1-inch

20.0

5472

3648

4K/30p

22.8

12.6

591

70

Sony RX100 IV

Sony A5000«»

APS-C

19.8

5456

3632

1080/60i

23.8

13.0

1089

79

Sony A5000

Sony A5100«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

23.8

12.7

1347

80

Sony A5100

Sony A3000«»

APS-C

19.8

5456

3632

1080/60i

23.7

12.8

1068

78

Sony A3000

Sony NEX-3N«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

22.8

12.5

1067

74

Sony NEX-3N

Sony NEX-5T«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60p

23.6

13.0

1015

78

Sony NEX-5T

Sony NEX-6«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

23.7

13.1

1018

78

Sony NEX-6

Sony NEX-F3«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

22.7

12.3

1114

73

Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-5N«»

APS-C

16.0

4912

3264

1080/60i

23.6

12.7

1079

77

Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5«»

APS-C

14.0

4592

3056

1080/60i

22.2

12.2

796

69

Sony NEX-5

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the A6000 provides a higher frame rate than the NEX-5R. It can shoot video footage at 1080/60p, while the NEX-5R is limited to 1080/60i.

Feature comparison: Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A6000 has an electronic viewfinder (1440k dots), which can be very helpful when shooting in bright sunlight.
In contrast, the NEX-5R relies on live view and the rear LCD for framing. That said, the NEX-5R can be equipped with an optional viewfinder – the FDA-EV1S. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A6000, the Sony NEX-5R, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Sony A6000»

1440

n

3.0

922

tilting

n

1/4000s

11.0

Y

n

Sony A6000

Sony NEX-5R«

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

Y

1/4000s

10.0

n

n

Sony NEX-5R

Canon M3«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/4000s

4.2

Y

n

Canon M3

Canon G7 X«»

-

n

3.0

1040

tilting

Y

1/2000s

6.5

Y

Y

Canon G7 X

Sony A6300«»

2359

n

3.0

922

tilting

n

1/4000s

11.0

Y

n

Sony A6300

Sony RX100 IV«»

2359

n

3.0

1228

tilting

n

1/2000s

16.0

Y

Y

Sony RX100 IV

Sony A5000«»

-

n

3.0

461

tilting

n

1/4000s

3.5

Y

n

Sony A5000

Sony A5100«»

-

n

3.0

922

tilting

Y

1/4000s

6.0

Y

n

Sony A5100

Sony A3000«»

202

n

3.0

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

2.5

Y

n

Sony A3000

Sony NEX-3N«»

-

n

3.0

460

tilting

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

n

Sony NEX-3N

Sony NEX-5T«»

-

n

3.0

922

tilting

Y

1/4000s

10.0

n

n

Sony NEX-5T

Sony NEX-6«»

2359

n

3.0

921

tilting

n

1/4000s

10.0

Y

n

Sony NEX-6

Sony NEX-F3«»

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

n

1/4000s

5.5

Y

n

Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-5N«»

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

Y

1/4000s

10.0

n

n

Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5«»

-

n

3.0

920

tilting

n

1/4000s

7.0

n

n

Sony NEX-5

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The A6000 has one, while the NEX-5R does not.
While the built-in flash of the A6000 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The NEX-5R has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing. This characteristic will be appreciated by
vloggers and photographers who are interested in taking selfies. In contrast, the A6000 does not have a selfie-screen.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the A6000 and the NEX-5R write their files to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A6000 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the NEX-5R cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison: Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha A6000 and Sony Alpha NEX-5R and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Sony A6000»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A6000

Sony NEX-5R«

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Sony NEX-5R

Canon M3«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon M3

Canon G7 X«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon G7 X

Sony A6300«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A6300

Sony RX100 IV«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony RX100 IV

Sony A5000«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A5000

Sony A5100«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A5100

Sony A3000«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A3000

Sony NEX-3N«»

-

stereo

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

-

-

-

Sony NEX-3N

Sony NEX-5T«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony NEX-5T

Sony NEX-6«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Sony NEX-6

Sony NEX-F3«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony NEX-F3

Sony NEX-5N«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony NEX-5N

Sony NEX-5«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony NEX-5

Both the A6000 and the NEX-5R have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The NEX-5R was replaced by the Sony NEX-5T, while the A6000 was followed by the Sony A6300. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Sony website.

Review summary: Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A6000 and the Sony NEX-5R? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (20 percent cheaper at launch).

More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 1 year and 5 months after the NEX-5R).

Reasons to prefer the Sony Alpha NEX-5R:

Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.

More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.

More compact: Is smaller (111x59mm vs 120x67mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.

Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 68g or 20 percent) and is thus easier to take along.

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in August 2012).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A6000 is the clear winner of the match-up (11 : 5 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

A6000 11:05 NEX-5R

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Sony A6000 and the Sony NEX-5R place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A6000 or the NEX-5R. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews: Sony A6000 vs NEX-5R

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Other camera comparisons

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